BAA Tightens Qualifying Standards for 2026 Marathon

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) has announced updated qualifying standards for the 2026 Boston Marathon, increasing the required marathon completion times for most runners under 60 by five minutes. This decision follows a record-breaking 36,406 applications for the 2025 race, which exceeded the previous year's record by over 3,000. BAA president Jack Fleming noted that this adjustment reflects the rising caliber and competitiveness of marathon runners globally, as the organization has had to turn away many qualified applicants in recent years. The new qualifying times require men aged 18-34 to complete a marathon in 2 hours, 55 minutes, while women and nonbinary runners must finish in 3 hours, 25 minutes. The qualifying window for the 2026 race opened on September 1 and will remain open until September 2025.